Fostering Integration

The integration of refugees through volunteer work

The Lumière film festival maintains and strengthens its commitment to social and professional integration by opening its doors to students, asylum seekers, young people currently out of school, or those living in vulnerable conditions.

In 2025, close to 200 people joined the festival teams to participate in visitor hospitality, cultural outreach and logistics. Beyond providing essential support to ensure the event runs smoothly, the initiative reflects a strong aspiration: to promote access to employment, rebuild confidence, forge connections and offer concrete experience at the professional and cultural heart of the events sector.

Each year, in partnership with the Rhône and Region Prefecture, the festival holds an Integration Week, an initiative aimed at facilitating the professional insertion of refugees.

Alongside 22 associations and outreach entities – including Forum Réfugiés, Entraide Pierre Valdo, Passerelles Buissonnières, Langues comme une and Singa – the festival welcomes nearly 60 refugees annually, who hail chiefly from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea or Myanmar.

Upon joining the teams of volunteers, they help with welcoming the public, logistics or the organization of the event. The experience enables them to develop new skills, form connections and gain a better understanding of the professional world.

This initiative also falls within the framework of Hospitality Week.

Social and professional integration at the heart of the Lumière film festival

Going beyond this initiative, certain participants also benefit from job coaching sessions run by the Adéquat Group, a partner of the festival. The opportunities for discussion and interview prep reinforce their pathway toward insertion and facilitate their access to employment.

In fact, the festival collaborates with several organizations that aim to help integrate young people into the workplace, notably the EPIDE (Établissement pour l'Insertion dans l'Emploi) which supports adults between 18 and 25 who are encountering barriers to employment.

Through its partnership with the Adéquat Group, the festival also extends the support to other target groups seeking to enter the labor market, from young people to refugees. Every year, job coaching sessions and a “job dating” event are arranged to help volunteers highlight their experience, develop their career projects and meet recruiters.

Some twenty young people of EPIDE are thus joining the festival’s volunteer teams. Their participation in organizing the event will allow them to experience a professional environment, develop a sense of responsibility and gain a valuable first work experience, which can serve as a veritable springboard towards employment.

In the spirit of openness and involvement in associations and cultural life, voluntary work at the festival is now recognized by several training programs in Greater Lyon.

Every year, students from MFR (Maisons Familiales Rurales), École Tunon, Centre International d'Études Françaises, along with volunteers from Unis-Cité, help with organizing the festival as part of their training or their volunteer commitment.

Testimonials

“When you arrive in a country, I think everything starts with culture, it’s the best way to discover the place.”

“When I arrived in France, I didn’t speak French, and thanks to the volunteers, I could learn the language. It’s important for me to give back, by holding classes or volunteering at the festival–it’s all about sharing.”

“It’s been an honor for me and a very special experience for me to volunteer and to bring a modest contribution to the Lumière film festival. Thank you very much and I hope to see you again at the 13th edition.”

“I’m very happy to have had the chance to attend the festival. The festival was extremely appealing. The festival was vibrant, colorful and excellent. The venue is incredible. It was a wonderful opportunity for me.”